196 WITH NATURE AND A CAMERA. 



Indeed, the same paragraph will often come from 

 different quarters at the same time. 



We have ourselves met with a Robin's nest in 

 an old coffee-pot tossed by some careless hand 

 into a garden hedge, in an old watering-can lying 

 upon its side on a rubbish heap, in the hub of a 

 cart-wheel leaning against a wall, and amongst the 

 woodwork beneath a tumbril standing in a shed, 

 and give herewith a combination page of photo- 

 graphs of them as objects of curiosity. It is grati- 

 fying to be able to state that in each case the 

 parent birds succeeded in rearing and carrying off 

 their young ones in safety. Strangely enough, a 

 Pied Wagtail had also built her nest in the frame- 

 work of the tumbril above mentioned, on the same 

 side as the Robin, but below the axletree. Both 

 birds had taken advantage of an extra piece of 

 timber which had been nailed on to strengthen the 

 framework of the vehicle. 



We have seen the nests of various members of 

 the Tit family inside letter-boxes, street lamps, dis- 

 used pumps, and even within the narrow limits 

 afforded by the interior of the knife-box of a 

 mowing machine. 



A gentleman, who was going abroad big game 

 shooting some years ago, like a prudent sportsman, 

 tested the capabilities of his elephant gun and its 

 explosive bullets on a brick garden wall prior to 

 starting. The following spring a Spotted Fly- 

 catcher discovered that the penetrative force and 

 destructive powers of one of the little projectiles 

 had been sufficient to create an eligible site for a 

 small bird's nest, and promptly built her own in 

 the hole made by it. 



The unwearying patience and devotion of birds 

 whilst engaged in sitting upon their eggs or tending 



